Introducing Microsoft Windows Autopatch: Streamlined Updates for Enterprises

Starting July 11, 2022, Microsoft is offering Windows Autopatch, a cloud-based service that seamlessly delivers software updates to Windows and Microsoft 365 Enterprise users, free of charge.

Initially introduced in April, Windows Autopatch was exclusively available to customers with a Windows 10/11 Enterprise E3 license. With this service, Microsoft customers can effortlessly update critical components like drivers and firmware for Windows 10, 11, and Microsoft 365 applications.

According to Loir Bela, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, “We’re excited to announce that this service is now accessible for customers holding Windows Enterprise E3 and E5 licenses… Autopatch will continue to roll out updates every second Tuesday of the month, and it will revolutionize the update process, creating new possibilities for IT professionals.”

One of the key advantages of Microsoft Autopatch is its ability to facilitate direct updates to Microsoft, bypassing any intermediary services.

Microsoft provides administrators with clear instructions on how to enroll devices in Windows Autopatch:

1. Locate the Windows Autopatch option in the Tenant Administration section of the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center.
2. Select Tenant enrollment.
3. Agree to the terms and conditions.
4. Proceed with the ‘Enroll’ option.

Upon enrollment, Windows Autopatch will automatically categorize devices into four groups: the test ring, first ring, fast ring, and broad ring. The test ring comprises a minimal number of devices, the first ring includes only 1% of endpoints in the corporate environment, the fast ring encompasses approximately 9%, and the remaining 90% of devices fall into the broad ring category. Updates will be systematically deployed from the test ring to the broad ring.

Ms. Bela highlighted the capabilities of this feature, stating, “Once you’ve enrolled devices into Autopatch, the service takes care of most of the tasks.” She added, “Through the Autopatch blade in Microsoft Endpoint Manager, you can further fine-tune ring memberships, access the service health dashboard, generate reports, and submit support requests.”